Long Live the Shamy
by themoonorquit
Summary: What will it take for Sheldon to desire a paradigm shift in his relationship with Amy Farrah Fowler? What type of insanity will follow...?


"Here's one thing I'm not going to miss when I move out" Leonard groaned as Sheldon's bowel movement spreadsheet slipped off of the refrigerator door and onto the floor. He picked it up and stuck it back on with one of Sheldon's limited edition Dalek magnets before retrieving the leftover Thai food containers he wanted to bring over to Penny's for their date across the hall.

"You know what I'm not going to miss?" Sheldon asked, sparing Leonard a passing glance as he walked buy and turned the television on.

"What's that?" he asked in a sarcastically excited tone.

"Your _incapability_ to keep a single thought to yourself" he answered dryly as he sat in his spot. "You're always carrying on about something. 'Take your bowel movement spreadsheet off the refrigerator,' 'don't play your Theremin after 11:00,' 'stop using the turkey baster for mucous'. I swear you are one of the most irritable people I have ever met."

"Yeah, sorry about that" he bit back sarcastically. "But no more talking about this whole 'moving out' thing when Penny's here. I don't want to freak her out. She said it's what she wants, but you know Penny…."

"Oh yes" Sheldon nodded as he caught on to what Leonard was saying. "You're referring to her reluctance to commit."

"Yes" Leonard answered, annoyed at Sheldon's way of stating the obvious.

"I'm lucky Amy Farrah Fowler doesn't have that same tendency" he said proudly.

"What are you talking about?" Leonard scoffed. "You and Amy haven't even slept together; you're nowhere near as close as Penny and I are."

"On the contrary Leonard, Amy and I have a relationship of the mind… It would probably be difficult for you to understand."

"Well that I can't argue with" he nodded. "It _is_ difficult to understand you and Amy."

"Hush now" Sheldon scolded. "The SyFy network is airing the Deep Space Nine-Star Trek: The Original Series- Trouble with Tribbles crossover episode in a matter of moments."

"Well, I'm going to have to sit out on that one" Leonard said rolling his eyes as he made his way to the door, take out containers in hand. "I'm going over to Penny's. See you later."

His inclination was to simply ignore Leonard as he didn't really care where he was going, and the Trouble with Tribbles crossover episode was beginning, but his mother had taught him that it was a non-optional social convention to always acknowledge a person as they left the room. "Goodbye Leonard" Sheldon called out as he watched the door close. "Finally" he sighed after a moment. "I don't have to listen to anymore of his yammering."

* * *

"Has Penny called here?" Leonard asked urgently as he quickly made his way back into the apartment.

"No" Sheldon answered. "Why would she? And, what are you doing back here? I thought I was going to have the apartment to myself tonight, I was looking forward to it."

"Sorry to disappoint you" Leonard said sardonically. "I waited at Penny's for over an hour, she's still not there, and she isn't answering her cell phone. I'm really worried."

"Well could you do it quietly?" Sheldon requested. "The commercial break will be over soon."

Leonard rolled his eyes in response. If it were anyone else he would be incredibly angry, but this was Sheldon. He really wasn't expecting any sympathy from him. "I guess I'll go back to her apartment and wait" he shrugged before he felt his cellphone vibrate in his back pocket.

"Thank God" he sighed when he saw Penny's number on his screen. "Hello?" he answered.

"Hey" Penny replied. "I'm _so_ sorry I missed our date."

Penny sounded weird to Leonard and it made him even more worried. "I don't care about that. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine" Penny answered reassuringly. "But I'm at the hospital."

"What happened?"

Sheldon's attention turned from the Trouble with Tribbles crossover episode to Leonard's conversation. Initially, his concerns about Penny seemed exaggerated to him. Penny was often late to social functions, and rarely remembered to charge her phone, but the more of Leonard's side of the conversation he heard the more he began to feel uneasy.

"I don't really know" Penny said, answering Leonard's question. "I was getting ready for our date and I got a call from Amy. She wasn't making much sense; she said something about her apartment being broken into…"

Leonard stood in silence for a moment before speaking. "But who would have-?"

"I don't know" Penny interrupted. "I haven't even seen her yet; I don't really know what's going on."

"Well it's good your there" he nodded. "Amy will need a friend."

"Amy?" Sheldon asked as he got up from his spot and moved closer. "My Amy? Amy Farrah Fowler?"

Leonard looked at him, but didn't respond. "I have to go" he said to Penny as he hung up.

"Leonard, what happened to Amy?" he asked. Sheldon was unfamiliar with the feeling he was experiencing, and he didn't like it. He didn't like it at all. His limbs were numb and his head felt tingly. "Leonard" he repeated, his voice growing increasingly urgent. "What happened to Amy?"

Leonard remained silent for another moment, struggling to find the best way to phrase what he was about to tell Sheldon. He knew that as emotionally constipated as Sheldon was, this news would upset him because Sheldon loved Amy in his own way. And, as annoying as Sheldon was, it was still Leonard's instinct to protect him; that was what made giving him this news so difficult. "Her apartment was broken into" he finally admitted. "She's in the hospital."

"The _hospital_?" Sheldon gasped. The tingly feeling in his head intensified and his heart rate accelerated. "Why wasn't I notified?" he asked coldly as his face paled. "Amy Farrah Fowler and I are each other's emergency contacts. We have been since last February."

"I don't know" Leonard shrugged. "All I know is that Penny is with her."

"It's good that she isn't alone" he nodded. Penny would be better at comforting Amy than he would be anyway. Penny was good at that. He always felt better after Penny sang him soft kitty when he was sick. Amy wasn't sick, but maybe she could still sing her soft kitty. Any ailment that would warrant hospitalization could be considered a type of sick. "You said she's in the hospital?" he asked as he slowly sank into his spot on the couch. The familiarity comforted him. His spot was a constant in his life, and he liked that. What he didn't like was all of this uncertainty.

"Yes" Leonard said gently. "Penny wasn't sure exactly what happened. She was hoping that she could get more information."

"Likely a robbery" Sheldon mumbled, his gaze fixed on the floor. "Two million home burglaries occur each year in the United States."

Leonard was concerned about how Sheldon was processing everything. He seemed to be in denial, but maybe that wasn't what was going on at all. After all, this was Sheldon; maybe this was his way of coming to terms with his fear.

"Oh no" he said suddenly as his eyes widened in horror. "This is a gross violation of our relationship agreement on my part."

"Sheldon, don't go there" he warned. "You didn't know that this was going to happen. There was no way you could have stopped it." Even if Sheldon didn't realize what was going on Leonard did. Sheldon was using guilt as a means of avoidance.

"Article 6 section 2 clearly states that we are to provide for each other's physical safety" he said frantically. "And about 30 percent of all burglaries are committed due to an open window or unlocked door. Leonard, I was Amy's apartment this morning, and her window was open!"

"Sheldon" Leonard said attempting to calm him down. "You didn't know."

"Her air conditioner was broken" he explained. "And it was approximately 83 degrees Fahrenheit, so_ I_ suggested that she open them."

"You didn't know" he repeated. "There is no way you could have known."

"Well that isn't good enough now is it?" he bit back. "'I didn't know' isn't going to help Amy!"

"No" Leonard said solemnly. "It isn't. But neither is blaming yourself."

Sheldon nodded as he thought about what Leonard was saying. He was right; wasting his time thinking about what he could have done differently wouldn't change anything. The only way he could help was if he was with her, but he _hated_ hospitals. And, he had to admit, he was frightened. Frightened of what had happened to Amy. But when the possibility that she was frightened too crossed his mind, he felt the urge to be there with her. "I want to see her" he said sadly as he turned to Leonard. "Can you take me to her?"

"Of course" Leonard answered. "Of course, I'll take you there right away."

Sheldon looked at Leonard and gave him a look that Leonard had never seen before, not from Sheldon anyway. It was a sincere look of gratitude. "Thank you Leonard" he said softly.

"You're welcome" he nodded as the pair made their way to the door.

**Please Review if you liked it! If there is interest I'll write more :) Don't worry, the story will not get more dramatic from here, I promise!**


End file.
